Lost Answers
by The Flame Alchemist 13
Summary: It was true, it was all true. He's been in a coma for three years, Al was human, he had all his limbs, the Colonel was a General. It was all true. Someone out there knows the truth, someone out there holds the answers he so desperately seeks. But how can he find the one person when there are thousands of people in Amestris? But maybe the key to finding him lies in his past?
1. The Awakening

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist_

 **Chapter 1**

The pain was insufferable, agonizing, pure torture. Every struggled movement, each gasping breath, every rasping word that came out of his mouth. He thought he as going to die, he knew he was going to die, it was only a matter of time. Death however, never came and he had to suffer through this pain alone in the dark, without any warmth or light.

He knew Al was somewhere but he couldn't see him. His brother was somewhere hidden in the darkness that was closing in on him. He couldn't see, hear, move, nothing worked. All he could do was lie motionless on the cold hard ground, waiting for any sign of the suit of armor, any sign of the hope that he has been deprived of for so long.

His bloody, broken body was easily looked over, the golden hair matted with both dry and fresh crimson blood. He forced himself up, he forced his stiff protesting body to move forward. He knew it was hopeless, he wasn't going to last long. All of the hope that once had lived within him had been ripped away and replaced with nothing but empty darkness.

He was in the pit of despair, the darkness the only thing to inhabit the land he was dying in. He knew he only had so much longer but both his broken heart and wisp of soul were set on finding the suit of armor even if it cost him his life.

With one bloody hand he reached out for the light that he could only imagine was there. His pleas for light, his desperation driving him forward. Each shaky step brought him closer to either life or death.

He was in the bottom of hell with nothing but his own will to keep him sane. Each burst of pain nothing compared to the emptiness rapidly welling up inside him, threatening to devour him. He had nothing now, no hope, no light, only darkness and despair.

He pulled painfully forward. He could see the end now, for better or worse. He was almost there. Something was pulling him forward, something was driving him towards the unseen force that awaited him at the end of this dark tunnel that could lead only to death. He knew that everything was going to change, something good or bad was going to happen.

His muscles protested as he propelled forward. Nothing was holding him back now, he was going to find Al, they were going to survive.

He knew it was close, he could feel the warmth penetrating the sharp stabbing cold that pierced his broken skin. It was right there in his grasp, his goal was right ahead. He was finally going to be safe, he was finally going to see Al again.

How could he be wrong? Why was the darkness growing thicker? It felt like he was walking through a pool of blood, thick swirling blood that lapped at his legs and tried suck him back down. He was forcing himself to move forward, he didn't know what else to do.

In one final desperate struggle he pushed his way forward, barreling through the pain, pushing past the sorrow, throwing away all misery. He knew what he had to do, he had to complete his goal at all costs. He was going to survive and that was a promise he was going to cherish and hold close to his broken heart. His trembling fingers reached up to grab onto the last shard of hope that floated through the air above him.

He had it in his grasp, the last of the hope. He pulled it close and held the invisible force close to him. He knew it was there even though he could neither feel not see it, he knew it was there. It was safe in his bloody hands, safe in his trembling fingers.

Everything seemed like it will work, everything was just as it should be. He embraced the hope and continued on his struggle forward. Al was going to be saved and he was going to do it. He wasn't going to bow down to death now. He spread apart his shaky fingers and as soon as he did that one action the entire world was enveloped in a blinding white.

* * *

Everything was wrong. But at the same time everything was right. Nothing made sense but everything seemed perfect.

When Ed opened his eyes he found himself staring up at a white roof. But that wasn't what surprised him. He woke up in hospitals all the time. The absence of pain was strange but that wasn't the thing that confused him either. It was when he turned his head and saw Al sitting in a chair beside him that he truly became confused and he might as well have been shocked.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was Al, his brother. His brother in his original body. Ed could only stare, open mouthed, at the blond hair and gently snoring human in front of his eyes. But how was Al human, he was just a suit of armor?

Light golden eyes open and met his bright ones. The two brothers stared at each other in silence for a moment before tears filled Al's eyes and he dived at Ed, pulling his older brother into a tight hug.

"Brother, I missed you so much," he announced as he continued his python tight hug. Ed was still shocked at what he was seeing. How was Al human?

"Al, you're breaking me." His voice was scratchy and it sounded like he hadn't talked for years. But that wasn't possible. He was still racking his mind trying to figure it out when someone walked into the room.

Ed looked over his brother's shoulder and saw Roy Mustang walk further into the small room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ed. His eyes widened in surprise and it looked like a layer of stress vanished off of his face.

"Edward, you're awake?" He asked in disbelief. His dark eyes had adopted a look of relief and gratefulness as he ran over to Ed and did the same Al did to him a minute before. Ed was stuck in yet another python hug. How many more bone crushing hugs was he going to receive?

When Roy finally released him there was nothing but shock plastered on the blond Alchemists face. His golden gaze swept from Al to Roy and back again.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on or am I going to have to figure it out myself?" Ed asked as he continued to stare questioningly at the two people. He wasted an answer. When no explanation came he crossed his arms over his chest and that's when he got the biggest surprise of all.

It wasn't automail. Both his right and left arm were real. Flesh and blood. He stared in shock before feeling his left leg and just like the arm it was flesh, not steel. He didn't believe what was happening. First Al is human and now he had all his limbs. He didn't know why it was suddenly different.

"Al, my arm and leg. They're real," he said in disbelief. His gaze was fixed solely on the flesh limp in front of his face. His arm was back, but how? It just didn't make any sense.

He looked up at Al pleadingly for answers but his brother looked down for some reason, as if there was something he knew and was keeping it a secret.

"Al, what's wrong?" Ed asked. His younger brother looked up and forced a smile onto his stressed face.

"It's nothing," He said quickly. "I'm just glad that you have you're awake, that's all."

Ed knew that wasn't what he was thinking. Al was hiding something, something important that Ed didn't know about. The blond's gaze drifted over to Roy.

"Hey Colonel, do you know what's going on?" Ed asked.

"It's General now," Roy corrected. "And I'm sorry. Al's the only one who knows."

Ed snapped his attention back to Al. "So you _are_ hiding something." He peered closely at Al, awaiting impatiently for an answer, and that was hard to do for someone who has no patients to begin with.

Al looked uneasy but he looked up at Ed anyway and began to explain the one thing that seemed to be the most important thing, far more important than why the Colonel was now a General. "Edward you've been in a coma for the past three years. I'm sorry."

Ed's eyes widened. A coma? But how. It just didn't make sense. He was in a coma for three years, it wasn't possible. Al was lying to him, telling him a joke. Yeah, that's it. He's joking, that's all. Ed however, believed Al, believed what he was saying about him being in a coma.

"A-Al, are you telling the truth?" Ed asked in a broken voice. "Everything you said just now...Is it true?"

Al nodded slightly and Ed knew that his brother wouldn't lie to him like that. The blond sank back against the pillow and tried to wrap his mind around everything that he had just been told in that short period of time. It was true, it was all true. He's been in a coma for three years, Al was human, he had all his limbs, the Colonel was a General. It was all true.

He needed answers. He had to know why everything was the way it was. There must have been a reason he was trapped in that dark void. There must be an answer if he could just remember. He tried to think back but his mind was blank, it was like all the memories of what had happened were stolen and replaced with just emptiness.

He tried to think but only saw flashes of things that only lasted a second before disappearing. It was impossible to remember but he knew it was there, somewhere. He shut his eyes and forced himself to remember anything. He saw himself and Al walking through a forest, he saw himself handing in a report. Everything was familiar yet unfamiliar. He couldn't grasp one thing, not one fragment of a memory that floated aimlessly through his dark mind.

After a fair bit of time he looked up and saw both Al and Roy looking at him expectantly as if they were thinking that he could explain to them what was going on.

Ed's gaze drifted over to Al and he looked at his younger brother, wanting nothing more than answers to his endless questions.

"Alphonse, tell me what's going on. Everything," he demanded using as much authority as he could manage.

Al looked hesitant when it came to answering but after a brief pause began to talk.

* * *

 _ **Two years ago**_

* * *

Al sat beside Ed's bed and watched his brother's chest rise and fall slowly. It had been exactly a year since it all happened and there had been no change in Ed. The doctors had run countless tests but found nothing that could cause this. Al couldn't stand watching his brother waste away there, alive yet not alive. He was in good, no, perfect condition but he just wouldn't wake up.

Al waited here everyday, for as long as he could. He sat in the chair beside his brother and watched him, wishing that he was awake. He often found himself crying, crying because of his brother.

"What the point of reaching our goal if brother's not awake to see it?" Al asked no one in particular one evening.

Roy walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder. Al looked up into his dark eyes and saw nothing but kindness. He smiled down at him. "Don't worry Alphonse. I'm sure Ed will wake up eventually just give him some time."

Al nodded slightly and turned his complete attention back to Ed. He still couldn't believe that it had been an entire year since it all happened, it seemed like yesterday that Ed had made that sacrifice, the sacrifice that Al wished he could have made instead.

He was brought back to reality when there was a knock on the door. He shifted in the chair until he could see who it was.

It was a man. He was wearing a business suit and carrying a suitcase. He looked around as if waiting for someone to invite him in. When no invitation came he invited himself into the small hospital room and looked around. His gaze landed on Al and he smiled.

"Why if it isn't Alphonse Elric," he announced. Bowing slightly, he walked over to Al, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

"And isn't that Edward Elric?" His gaze drifted over to Ed's motionless body in the bed. His gaze drifted back to Al. "I've heard that you want answers, young man."

Al didn't know what to make of him. He seemed strange and he acted like he knew them. Al didn't know what kind of answers he was talking about but any answers were fine with him.

"What answers are you talking about?" Al asked suspiciously. He stared the man hard in the eye as he opened up his suitcase and pulled out a piece of paper. He looked at it before smiling.

"The answer to why your brother is the way he is." The newcomer smiled.

Al looked up suddenly. "You know what's wrong with Ed?"

He nodded slyly. "And I will tell you. But there has to be an Equivalent Exchange."

"What equivalent exchange are you talking about?" He was getting more and more suspicious about the man the longer he stood there.

"I'll give you the information in exchange for how you open the gate." He sounded serious.

Al didn't hesitate telling him about how you open the gate. All he cared about was knowing why Ed was in a coma and what he could do to change it. After he was done explaining, the man smiled and did his side of the deal.

"Ed knows the answer," He began. "He'll wake up eventually. You just have to be patient. The time will come soon. He's safe from death and wont die as long as he's in that condition. He'll wake up soon. Now, I have to go." The man closed his suitcase and walked out of the door and away from the room.

All Al could think about was how strange it all was. He turned to look at him brother with a great sadness in his pale golden eyes, wishing that what that man had said was true and that Ed would wake up soon. "Please wake up soon big brother. I miss you so much." A small tear rolled down his face but he didn't bother wiping it away.

* * *

 _ **Present time**_

* * *

All Ed managed was a nod of his head when Al finished explaining the story. It didn't make complete sense but Ed understood most of it. If there was someone out there who knew what happened then he had to find him, that the was only way.

"Al, do you remember anything?" Ed asked. "Do you know why you're human?"

Al only shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry brother. I don't know. I just remember waking up like this and that's all."

Ed sighed and tried to think. He was now positive he had to find that man. But how was he going to find one person out of the hundreds, no _thousands_ of people who lived in Amestris. It could take years. Hope seemed far away when something finally dawned on him.

"Al, we're going to find that man." Ed said it with determination. He attempted to get out of the bed but Roy pushed him back down.

"Geeze Ed, you need to rest for a bit," Roy said, putting a bit of pressure on Ed's shoulder to keep him down. "You've been unconsciousness for three years. You need to take it easy. Got it?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah yeah, I know. I just hate waiting."

Al laughed. "I guess you're really back."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ed demanded.

"You're the same as before you fell unconscious. Impatient, loud, annoying, stubborn. Name it and you've got it." Al continued to laugh.

Ed crossed his twig like arms over his chest again. "Yeah, yeah, that's _very_ Funny Al. I swear once I'm out of here I'm gonna give you a real beating."

"And then I'll give _you_ a beating," Al retorted jokingly.

"Alphonse," Roy spoke up. "Why don't we let Ed get some rest? He looks like he needs it."

It was all too true. Ed was feeling the weariness creeping into him as they spoke. A yawn escaped him and Roy and Al exited the room, shutting off the lights and closing the door. Ed decided to get some sleep and lied down in the bed. He pulled the blanket well over his blond head and was snoring within minutes.

* * *

 _ **Three years ago**_

* * *

Ed stormed into Roy Mustang's office and slammed the door with a bang loud enough to shake the walls. The Colonel looked up from signing papers and raised an eyebrow when Ed walked further into the office. The blond slammed his crumpled and torn report onto the Colonel's desk with great force, knocking over his mountain of paperwork and scattering the countless sheets to the floor.

"Fullmetal, could you please refrain from attempting to dent my desk with your automail?" He asked in a calm tone that ignited the fire in Ed. His cold gaze drifted the the paperwork that lined the floor. "And knocking my stuff to the floor," he added

"Why did you send me on another false lead?' Ed shouted, allowing all of his anger to burst out right then and there. "Do you know how much time I wasted in that damn place?"

"It's not my fault that the lead was false," Roy said. It was the same damn response he used every time the lead turned out to be false and every time Ed had to use all his willpower to keep himself from Transmuting the Colonel bastard into something. Ed couldn't even find the words to how mad he was.

The blond clenched his fists and slammed them against the table deliberately to bother Roy. He stared the older man hard in the eyes. "Next time you give me a lead make sure it's true," he snarled bitterly.

"I can't make any promises." There was sarcasm in his voice and Ed knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped.

Roy turned his attention to Ed's mangled report. He scanned the pages before handing the report back to Ed. "I can't read a word you've written. You're going to have to rewrite it."

Ed ripped the flimsy papers from Roy's hand and ripped it in half several times without hesitation. He threw the remains forcefully at the Colonel bastard's damn face and crossed his arms over his chest. "There. I rewrote it."

Roy pushed the scraps of paper off of him. "I'm getting the picture that you don't know what 'rewrite' means?"

Ed grit his teeth. "Shut up. I'm not rewriting that damn report if my life depended on it."

"Then I'm not giving you another lead," Roy said simply.

Ed hesitated. He always depended on the Colonel to give him a lead on the Philosopher's Stone but he was too damn stubborn to give in and rewrite the report, and he had to write it all over again because he decided that it was smart to rip the damn thing in half.

"I can find my own lead. I don't need you," Ed snarled. He turned sharply and stormed out of the room, slamming the door as hard as he could behind him.

As he walked down the halls with his hands buried deep in his pockets he became lost in his sea of thoughts. By the time he reached his dorm he was seething in anger and when he walked into the brightly lit room he slammed the door as hard as he possible could behind him. It caused the walls to vibrate and startled Al, who had been reading beside the window.

"Brother, how did the meet-" He stopped abruptly when he saw the look of pure hatred on his brother's face.

Ed walked across the room and began throwing clothes and books into his bag. There was no way he was going to be staying in the military dorms when that bastard was there. He shut his bag after some difficulty and headed for the door. "Come on Al, we're going."

"Where?" Al asked, walking over to Ed.

"I'll tell you on the train," Ed snarled. Without looking back he walked out of his dorm and down the halls. Al was forced to follow his infuriated older brother. The armor sighed and picked up his pace.

Ed walked out the front gate and into the warm afternoon air outside. Turning one corner, he made his way to the train station and after arriving bought two tickets for the first train leaving. It was a minute later when the train arrived and the two brothers boarded. Once they were situated in two seats in the back of the train Ed told Al where they were headed.

"I don't know where we're going. I just want to get away from the Colonel Bastard," Ed admitted with a forced laugh.

"What? I though you had a lead. So you have no idea where we're heading?" Al said quite loudly. "You idiot. I knew I shouldn't have trusted you."

"Relax Al, maybe if we're lucky there will be a Philosopher's Stone where we're going." Ed looked out the window and briefly wondered if there _was_ a Philosopher's Stone where they were going. Central city flew past them on the other side of the window at lightning speed. Pressing his forehead against the cool glass, he watched as the bustling city slowly melted into countryside, dotted with houses. His breath fogged up the glass and distorted the scenery. Wiping away the condensation, he continued to look out the window at the rolling planes.

The train ride was long and both Ed and Al had no idea where they were going. The armor was still mad at his brother and refused to talk to him. It wasn't like it bothered Ed, he was too busy to notice as he continued to stare out the window, waiting for the train to stop.

The sun was soon slowly setting and Ed yawned loudly. He was often tired and since he hasn't had any sleep he was pretty sure it was only a matter of minutes before he was out cold. But the sleep he desire never came. He was too busy thinking about how they were going to find the Philosopher's Stone. For all he knew Roy might refuse to give him another lead again and that he and Alphonse were going to have to find them themselves.

The hills rolling past them were a brilliant gold as the last rays of the setting sun his them. The train was far from any busy city now. Only vast hills and twisting rivers dominated the barren land. Ed continued to stare out the window until his eyelids felt heavy and he finally drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Ed, we're here. Wake up," Al's voice broke into his sleep.

Ed sat up and yawned. Outside was a small town, smaller than most. The buildings were spread apart and beyond the town was sand. They were in a desert of sand. Ed hated sand, when there was sand there was heat and he hated both. He slowly followed Al out of the train and into the searing heat outside. Sweat was already streaming down his face despite the fact that he's been out no longer then thirty seconds.

He noticed a small sign that read, _'New Optain. Population 110'_

"Look's like we're in New Optain," Ed said with a sigh. "Couldn't we have gone somewhere with less sand?"

"You're the one who got on this train," Al reminded him.

Ed hung his head. _Damn it. Why couldn't I have taken the train going somewhere else. Now I'm stuck in this damn town._ Ed looked up and began to look for the nicest hotel he could find. He had enough knowledge to know that the trains only came by here every three days so he and Al needed to find a hotel or they would have to sleep in the streets like they did on their last assignment.

The first hotel was spotted, but it wasn't anything like Ed hoped for. It was an old rundown building that looked like it was ready to cave in, but at least they wouldn't have to stay in the sandy streets. He walked through the creaking doors and up to the front desk where a grouchy looking man sat with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Hey, I need a room," Ed announced, walking straight up the the man that reeked with smoke.

"three hundred thousand," The man said simply. "For the two of you."

"What? Three hundred thousand cenz for this damn place!" Ed shouted in disbelief. "I'll just find another hotel then."

The man casually tossed his cigarette to the ground and pulled out another one. "'S no use kid. This is the only hotel."

Ed reached into his wallet and pulled out the cash. He handed it to the man who tossed him the dusty key in exchange.

"Room 102," Ed muttered to himself. He walked through the halls until he spotted the room. He pushed the key into the lock and turned. There was a metallic snap as the key broke in half. Ed clenched his trembling fists. He easily Transmuted the door open and stormed in, his anger returning.

He got one look of the room and wished that he just stayed in Central. The walls were covered in both cobwebs and cracks, there was about an inch of dust on the ground, and the windows were either boarded up or cracked. There was only one one bed in the center of the room and when Ed pulled the blanket away three rats ran out from beneath it.

A disgusted look appeared on Ed's face and he dropped the sheet. There was no way he was going to sleep in a rat infested bed.

He glanced over at Al and saw him staring directly at Ed. "It's all your fault brother." The armor crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah yeah. Let's all blame me, how does that sound?" Ed said sarcastically.

"That sounds great," Al said with irritation.

Ed shot Al a meaningless glare before glancing around the room once more. "Let's go see if there's anything to do in this town." Ed walked out of the door. He wasn't going to sit there and do nothing until the train arrived. If he stayed there any longer he was probably going to get a disease.

While walking around he noticed some man watching him with interest. Ed stared at him for a minute before ignoring him and walking around more. The town was hot, very hot. Ed's automail felt like it was burning his skin and he eventually took refuge in a small wisp of shade he found beneath a bench. Al was standing a few feet from his and pretending he didn't know the strange kid sitting under the bench.

Ed didn't care if he looked like a complete fool, he was too hot to care. He savored the coolness of the shade and relaxed. He just happened to look off in one direction and saw the same man staring at him. Ed stared back and after a few short moments the man walked over. Ed swore beneath his breath. He attracted the unwanted attention of some random man _again_.

He crawled out from beneath the bench and walked over to Al. "Come on, let's go back to our-"

"Aren't you the Elric brothers?" A voice asked from behind them.

Ed turned sharply and saw the man that was staring at him standing no more than three feet from them. He was wearing a business suit and carrying a suitcase. Ed figured that he must have been hot wearing that suit.

"Why do you ask?" Ed demanded. He didn't mean to be rude, he didn't think he was rude but Al shook his shoulder and told him not to be rude. So he probably was rude.

The man bowed slightly. "I'm Nicolas," he began. "I'm honored to finally meet the two of you." He looked up and met Ed's gaze. "And I believe that you are searching for the Philosopher's Stone. Am I correct?"

Ed's eyes widened slightly. _How does he know we're searching for the Philosopher's Stone? Me and Al have never told any one but a few people. It makes sense that he know who we are but how does he know about the Philosopher's Stone?_

"Yes, we're the Elric brother's," Alphonse announced. "I'm Alphonse Elric and." The armor pointed at Ed. "He'd my older brother Edward Elric."

Ed turned to look hard at Al. "Al, haven't I ever told you to not tell random strangers who we are?"

Al ignored him and Ed crossed his arms over his chest. The blond turned his attention back to the man and looked at him suspiciously. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I already told you I'm Nicolas," the man politely reminded them.

"I don't care what your damn name is," Ed spat. Now he was being rude. "How do you know we're searching for the Philosopher's Stone and how do you know who we are?"

"You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, the youngest State Alchemist ever. It only makes sense that I know who you are."

"That's not the answer I was looking for," Ed growled.

Nicolas didn't appear to understand. Instead he reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a distinct glowing red stone that reflected the sun that shone from the sky. Ed's eye's widened at the sight of it.

"Is that?"

"Yes," Nicolas said, holding up the stone so Ed could get a better view. "This is the Philosopher's Stone."

* * *

 **A/N...So how was it. This idea came to me randomly so I decided to post it after about two months of deciding if I should. I'd love to hear what you think about it.**

 **Now, for the question: There is a reason I named that guy with the Philosopher's Stone Nicolas. If you know why I named him that then write your answer in a review and I'll mention everyone who guesses correctly in the authors note next chapter. Good luck.**


	2. Mysteries

**A/N..And we have a winner! Griselda Banks for correctly guessing why I named Nicolas Nicolas. He's named after Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the Philosopher's Stone. Now, onto the story...**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

* * *

 _ **Present Time**_

* * *

Ed jolted awake suddenly. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, his eyes wide with surprise, and his breathing uneven. He remembered what happened; well, most of it anyway. The guy Nicolas had a Philosopher's Stone, and Al was armor, and they were staying in a rundown hotel in New Optain. He still didn't know why he and Al were normal or why he was in a coma but at least it was a start.

He glanced beside him and saw that it was early morning and when he looked the other way he saw Al soundly sleeping in the chair beside his bed. Ed needed to tell him what he found out. Should he wake him up? Finally making up his mind, he whispered Al's name. When his brother didn't stir he said it a bit louder.

Al looked up and blinked a few timed before reality dawned on him. "Good mornin' Ed," he mumbled groggily.

"Al, I need to tell you something," Ed said quickly, his voice a bit louder than a whisper.

"What?" He still looked half asleep. His eyes were half closed and he he kept yawning repeatedly.

Ed ignored that fact that Al would probably forget what he said and launched himself into an in depth, elaborate story about his dream. As he told it, Al seemed more and more awake until his mouth hung slightly open and all traces of sleep had vanished from his now alert face.

"And then Nicolas pulled a Philosopher's Stone out of his pocket and showed it to me," Ed finished. By the time he had finished the story the sun was fully up and Roy had walked into the room.

"Ed, I just signed the release papers. You're free to go home today," Roy told him.

Ed narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"You're going to have to stay at my place for several weeks," Roy told him.

"What I'm not staying with you for _weeks_!" Ed shouted in disbelief. There was no way he was staying at the General's place for weeks. "Come on Colonel, isn't there anywhere else I can stay?"

"It's General now and there's nowhere else for you to stay," Roy told him with a distinct edge of irritation to his voice.

Ed crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Was it childish? Yeah, probably looked that way to other people.

Roy, noticing Ed's displeasure, handed him another option. "It's either you stay with me or here." He indicated the hospital room they were in.

Ed gritted his teeth. "Fine," he snapped. "I'll stay at your damn place."

"Good choice." Roy began to walk towards the door. "I have a car waiting to drive us back to my place."

Ed got slowly out of the bed but immediately lost his balance and fell to the floor. Roy was at his side in seconds, helped him sit up.

"I can sit up on my own," Ed snapped. There was, however, no anger in his voice as he said it.

Roy didn't listen to him and kept a hand placed firmly placed on his shoulder as the blond swayed slightly. He was unusually weak. It was no surprise though, he's been unconscious for the past three years so it was bound to happen.

Roy carefully pushed Ed down into a chair behind him. "Wait here, I'll be back in a minute. And don't get up," he added before leaving the room and walking down the hall.

Ed sighed. He decided to listen to the General and not stand up. He was probably going to fall on his face again and embarrass himself again. When Roy finally returned his mouth dropped open. The Colonel was pushing a damn wheelchair in front of him.

"I'm _not_ sitting in that," Ed announced, clearly infuriated at what Roy had done.

"The doctor was kind enough to let me use this," Roy said, ignoring the fact that Ed looked like he was about to explode.

Ed opened his mouth to protest but Roy beat him to it. "No complaining. It's either this or I'm carrying you."

"I can walk just fine on my own," Ed insisted, knowing full well that wasn't true.

Roy thought over what Ed had said before giving the blond a retorted answer. "I recall that the last time you tried to walk you fell on your face before you even took a step."

After a long minute of thinking it over Ed made the decision to sit in the wheelchair. He had a look of pure hatred on his face and Roy pushed him through the halls.

"I hate this," Ed repeatedly complained. He hated looking weak, he looked like a complete fool. Maybe sometimes it was okay to act weak? He knew he hated it but there was nothing else he could do. He stared straight ahead he was pushed through the halls. The thought of being weak wasn't bothering him that much anymore. Maybe the three wasted years of his life made him realize that he should stop getting bothered over the things he couldn't control and that he should move on with his life.

Roy finally reached the car and Ed managed to get out of the wheelchair and into the passenger's seat without falling; he had Al's help of course. He sighed once he was fully settled down and rested his head against the back of the seat in defeat. Exhaustion was creeping into him and he didn't know why it was. He didn't move around much during the drive.

Roy soon started the engines and drove off down the street. Ed stared out the window the entire time. Central City has changed in the past three years. Nothing very noticeable, but it changed. Ed's gaze remained fixated on the twisting streets for about ten minutes until the car slowly pulled into the driveway of a house.

The house was a good size with white paint and a bright green yard with a tree in the middle of it. The house appeared to be in very good shape. Once the car had come to a full halt Roy got out of his door and opened Ed's.

"You need any help walking?" Roy asked. "I don't have the wheelchair anymore."

No matter how much Ed hated being weak he knew that he was never going to make it to the house without falling on his face. With both Roy and Alphonse's help Ed managed to get out of the car and walk towards the house. Ed's footsteps were uneven and his legs shook slightly. He wasn't use to having two flesh limbs and walking on them felt different.

When he got into the house he collapsed onto the couch, breathing hard and coated in a glistening layer of sweat.

"Do you need anything?" Roy asked. There was a slight edge of nervousness in his voice and Ed could tell that he was trying his best to hide it.

"I'm fine," Ed breathed as he forced out a fake yawn. "I'm kinda tired. I think I'll get some sleep."

"Do you want me to wake you if you're still sleeping by the time I've made dinner?" Roy asked.

Ed shook his head. "No, don't wake me. I want to sleep for as long as I can."

Roy nodded, agreeing to what Ed asked him. Ed got more comfortable on the couch and rolled over so he was facing away from Mustang. He wasn't one bit tired but he had to see it again. He hoped that he would learn more about his forgotten past from his dreams so the best thing to do would sleep and hope that he had the dream he wanted.

Sleep eventually came and he was absorbed into the dream the had been long awaiting for.

* * *

 _ **3 years ago**_

* * *

"Yes," Nicolas said, holding up the stone so Ed could get a better view. "This is the Philosopher's Stone."

Ed could only manage to stare open mouthed at what he was seeing. It was there, right in front of him. The single thing that he has been searching for since becoming a state Alchemist. The Philosopher's Stone.

"T-the Philosopher's Stone. How did you get it?" Ed asked, still shocked at what he was seeing. He pointed his finger at the shining red stone.

"This?" Nicolas tossed the stone in the air and caught it in his hand before shoving it into his pocket. "Made it a few years back. Nothing special."

"How do you make one?" Ed asked. He had to get one. He had to turn Al back to human and he couldn't miss out on this opportunity.

"That is secret information that when in the wrong hands can lead only to bloodshed." The look in Nicolas' eyes showed that he was dead serious.

Ed had to find a way to either trick Nicolas into telling him how to make the Philosopher's Stone or find a way to make him give him the stone. While he was thinking Al suddenly asked an obvious question that made Ed feel stupid for not asking first.

"Why would creating the Philosopher's Stone lead to bloodshed?" The armor looked at Nicolas, waiting patiently for an answer.

"That is something you will find out in your own time." Nicolas turned to walk away but Ed grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"How old are you?" Ed asked. But he didn't ask without a reason. If what he knew about the Philosopher's Stone was true, than the man wasn't as old as he looked.

Nicolas slowly turned and looked down at him. "My age doesn't matter. If you want to know more about the Philosopher's Stone come to this address tonight and six thirty." He scribbled something down on a scrap of paper and handed it to Ed.

Ed took it and Nicolas walked away. Ed watched him disappear into the crowd of people before Al shook his shoulder.

"Brother, are we going tonight?" Al asked slowly.

Ed nodded. "Yeah. Who knows, this might bring us closer to making a Philosopher's Stone ourselves?"

* * *

Ed stretched and flipped open his pocket watch to check the time. _6:20_

Having lost the last on his patience a while ago he was eagerly anticipating the moment when he was able to meet up again with Nicolas. He watched the clock tick on slowly for one more minute before shoving it into his pocket.

"Come on Al, I'm tired of waiting." Ed headed for the door and Al had no choice but to follow him. The two brother's walked down the sandy streets in silence. Al might have said something once or twice but Ed was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice. It was six twenty nine when Ed reached the address written on the piece of paper and he slowly knocked on the door of the house larger than any he's seen in that town since he arrived. And by large, he meant it was huge.

After about a minute the door was swung open and Nicolas appeared in the doorway to the house. He looked at Ed for a moment before beckoning him to come in. Ed accepted his welcoming and walked into the house with Al close behind. Nicolas shut the door and turned to the two of them.

"Will you meet me in my living room?" He pointed a finger to a large doorway at the end on the hall. And by large, Al didn't have to dunk to get inside. "I'll be there shortly after I finish making some tea."

"Thank you." Ed nodded his head and headed to the room he had indicated and couldn't help but let out a slight gasp when he saw how big the room was. There were large leather couches surrounding a fireplace. A beautifully decorated table sat in the center of the room on top of a red velvet carpet. Ed took a seat on one of the couches and was surprised to find how soft it was. His golden gaze continued to sweep the room with walls that were an odd dark purplish black. The curtains that were pulled over the window were red and the bright sun generated a faint red light that stained the hardwood floor.

He jumped out of his seat when he saw the bear. Turned out it was only stuffed and he immediately sat back down on the couch, his face turning bright red from embarrassment.

Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor and Ed turned to see Nicolas walking into the dimly lit room with a silver tray in hands with with three china teacups sitting on top. He placed the silver tray carefully down on the table and sat on the couch across from Ed. Nicolas locked his fingers together and placed his chin on top of his hands, his gaze fixed intently on Ed.

Ed waited a few moments before opening his mouth. "I-"

"I have a question to ask first," Nicolas interrupted. His eyes narrowed. "Why exactly are you two looking for the Philosopher's Stone?"

Ed hesitated. _I can't tell him that me and Al want to get our original bodies back. What else do I tell him?_ Ed noticed Nicolas staring intensely at him while waiting for a reply and a bead of nervous sweat rolled down Ed's forehead.

"I." He paused, still not really sure what to say.

"Don't bother stressing yourself out over nothing." Nicolas leaned back on the couch and sat in a relaxed position. His eyes met Ed's; stormy gray on brilliant gold. "I know that two of your limbs are automail and your brother Alphonse is nothing more than a soul bonded to a suit of armor."

"H-how did you-"

"I've been following you around for the past couple days," Nicolas answered without hearing the rest of Ed's question.

Ed was surprised at what he said. _He's been following us around for the past several days? How did I not notice him? Wait! I've been on a mission on the opposite side of Amestris for the past several days._ He continued to stare at Nicolas suspiciously and an uncomfortable silence spread throughout the room.

"How long have you been in possession of the Philosopher's Stone?" Al asked with the familiar metallic ringing to his voice, breaking the thick silence that dominated the large room.

Nicholas shook his head. "That's nothing of importance to you boys." He looked up and his gaze passed from Ed to Al with a mixture of suspicion and a faint trace of hidden anger. "But I'll tell you this. I have been in possession of the Philosopher's Stone for longer that most remember."

Ed was befuddled by what he said. What did he mean when he said that he's had the Philosopher's Stone for longer than most remember. Was he just wording 'I've had the stone for very long time' differently or was he trying to give a clue to something that could be considered important? Ed just sat there trying figure out what he was talking about or at least force something out of his thoughts that could be any use. Nothing came to him no matter how much he searched his mind.

Nicolas watched Ed as his golden gaze turned to stare blankly ahead, his entire consciousness absorbed in his thoughts.

Ed eventually gave up on the near impossible task of searching through his mind and snapped back to reality in a rough shake of his head. His golden eyes, no longer staring at nothing, were fixed on Nicholas as he tried to think of something else to ask him but nothing came to his overloaded mind. He opened his mouth but shut it again, knowing that his question was stupid.

Nicolas eventually stood up and walked across the large room. He stopped in front of a painting and stared at it. "Edward Elric," he began without taking his eyes off the ancient painting. "Does your father happen to be Van Hohenheim?"

Ed was startled and infuriated by the question he was just asked. Why did it matter if that bastard was his father? More importantly, why did Nicolas know that he was related to Hohenheim? Ed looked over in the mans direction and saw that he hasn't once removed his eyes that appeared to be glued to the picture as if it held some untold secrets.

Maybe it did, maybe there's something behind that painting. Curiosity began to swell up inside him at a rapid pace, higher and higher, faster and faster, until he was about to burst with an overwhelming amount of curiosity. He rose to his feet and walked over as fast as he could to see the painting. As he walked through the poorly lit room he could hear the clear difference between his footsteps. One step was normal and the other, even through the sole of his shoe, had a distinct metallic ring to it as he walked.

He reached the painting and stared at it for a few seconds before confusion dawned on him. After a few more seconds of staring his gaze widened and he felt his breath catch in his throat. It was a real surprise to see a painting of your father painted on a canvas that looked like it could easily be 100 years old, possibly more. He continued to stare a it before he was brought back to reality with a bone shattering thud.

He shook his head to clear away all of the jumbled thoughts that occupied his already full mind. He directed his gaze to Nicolas, who was staring at him with an interesting gleam in his eyes.

"Why is he.." Ed's voice drifted off and he couldn't think of what else to say. What _could_ he say. Wouldn't he just sound crazy if he asked why his father was in a 100 year old painting? But he had to ask. He couldn't leave without finding out the truth. He opened his mouth and tried to gather up the nerves to ask the question. "Why is my father in that painting?"

Nicolas smiled. "So Van Hohenheim _is_ your father. I knew it." He pulled his hands behind his back and looked at Ed with interest. "Looks like you and I have a great deal of things we need to discuss."

* * *

 _ **Present day**_

* * *

The smell of cooking filled his nose and overpowered his other senses as he slowly opened his golden eyes. It took him a moment to remember where he was and once he did he sighed, wishing that he was still sleeping. He needed to find out what was going to happen next. The ironic thing was that it was his past he couldn't remember. It was like it was a novel that he was just dying to turn the pages to find out what was going to happen next. He eagerly anticipated for each time he got the opportunity to sleep.

He heard someone call him from another room and Alphonse pocked his head into the living room. After noticing that his older brother was now awake he walked over and loomed above him. "Good evening. Did you sleep well?"

Ed nodded. He looked around to make sure no one else was in the room before turning to Al. "Alphonse, I need to tell you something important tonight, okay?"

Al nodded. He bent down and grabbed a long object that was leaning against the coffee table. He handed it gently to Ed and the blond took the crutch in his hands, eyeing it suspiciously

"Hughes brought it for you when he came by," Al explained. Ed rose up slowly from the couch and was thankful that he had the crutch. His legs shook as he stood and his vision swam before his eyes. He relied heavily on the crutch as he slowly walked towards the kitchen. He smelled food and his stomach was growling more than Den when he saw Ed's bastard father.

He finally reached the kitchen well after sweat began to roll down his face. He laughed when he saw Roy slaving over the oven wearing an apron. To be more specific a pink apron with frills. Roy turned to look at the laughing boy and his face turned the same color as the apron. The General quickly hid his embarrassment.

"Hey Edo, I haven't seen you awake in three years."

 _Not him. Anybody but him_. Dread washed over him and he sighed. When he turned around he discovered that his horrible suspicion was now reality. Hughes was standing three feet from him. The Lieutenant Colonel reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of his daughter, Ed sighed.

"Hughes, I don't want to see anymore pictures of Elicia." He saw Hughes reach into his pocket again. "And not Gracia." He saw Hughes with a disappointed look on his face but he reached back into his pocket. "And not of-" Hughes thrust another photo of a small boy in his face and he stared at it in confusion. "Who's that?"

"Isn't Ryan the cutest thing you've ever seen," Hughes announced in his usual loud voice. Ed was trying to figure out if Hughes voice was louder than a blow horn when Gracia walked into the room carrying the same boy from the picture in her arms.

"Good evening Ed," Gracia greeted politely. Ed nodded in response and the kid happily struggled in Gracia's arms.

"Ed Ed," he announced in a voice almost as loud as Hughes'. Ed was still confused until realization dawned on him.

"Gracia, is he your son?" He pointed one finger at the boy in her arms.

Gracia nodded proudly. "Yes, he's almost two now. I'm guessing that Maes just shoved his picture in you face and demanded that you tell him how cute Ryan is?"

Ed nodded. Gracia must know Hughes better than he knows himself. Ed saw the kid, most likely Ryan, struggle in his mother's grip again before she put him down and watched Ryan run off on his two tiny legs.

Ed once again thought of how strange everything was. Everything was different, everything has changed. Roy's a General, Al's human, he has all his limbs, Hughes and Gracia have a son, the list was only growing longer the more people he saw.

He began to think about Winry. She must be worried. Has she even been told that he was awake? He didn't think it was fair if she was being left in the dark about it all. He turned to Roy.

"Colonel, did anyone contact Winry and tell her I'm awake?" He asked, hoping that the answer was 'yes'.

Roy nodded his head without taking his eyes off the food he was cooking. "Al called her while you were asleep. She said that she's coming here tomorrow."

Ed nodded. Relief washed over him as he thought about seeing Winry again. The past three years must have been hard on her, and everyone else that was close to him. He was awake now and there was no point in hiding it from people.

He just realized how tired he was standing there and he collapsed into a chair. A few minutes passed before Roy turned and placed several bowls of food onto the table. Ed's stomach growled hungrily as he stared at the food with wide eyes and Roy laughed lightly before placing a plate down in front of him.

"Help yourself," He said. Ed immediately began shoveling food onto his plate. Soon he had a mountain of mashed potatoes, several pieces of chicken, and enough gravy to drown a town. He began to eat the food in hungry gulps. It looked like he was inhaling the food because of how fast he was eating it. Roy, Gracia, Hughes, and Al ate more slowly but Ed ate like he hadn't eaten in years. Actually, now that he started thinking about it, he _hasn't_ eaten for three years.

It was only a few minutes before Ed had eaten all the food off his plate and went for seconds. Roy pushed his outstretched hand out of the way.

"You shouldn't eat anymore," he said. "You're if you eat anymore you'll either get a stomach ache or throw up."

Ed sat back and pouted. How dare Roy deny him food when he hasn't eaten for three years? He stared hungrily at the food for several minutes before he slowly felt too full to think and he was glad that Roy told him to stop eating. Ed hung his head and thought about how that was the best meal he could ever remember having. Who knew that Roy was such a good chef? It was several minutes before everyone else had finished their meal and had begun to clean up. Ed sat down, too tired and probably too weak do do much work.

Ed was considering going back to the couch to sleep, but that was before Roy brought out the pie. The sweet scent chased away the smell from the dinner and Ed looked up, suddenly feeling empty again. His mouth watered and Roy cut the pie into slices. He placed a huge slice onto a clean plate and placed it down in front of Ed.

Without a second thought Ed devoured the entire slice. The apple pie wasn't as good as Winry's but it was still pretty damn good. He ate about three more slices before deciding that he had enough. That and Roy took the pie away so Ed couldn't eat the last slice that he had his eyes on. The table was cleaned off and Ed placed his head down on the wooden surface. Exhaustion and the overload of food in his stomach caused him to feel more tired than he usually would feel.

"Are you tired?' Roy's voice asked him from somewhere in the kitchen. It was only them in there now. Gracia, Hughes, and Al were in the living room playing with Ryan and Elicia so it was fairly quiet in that one room at the moment.

Ed nodded sleepily in response and as if on cue a loud yawn escaped his mouth and his eye lids began to feel heavier, but he forced them to stay open. No matter how much he wanted to sleep, to find out what was going to happen next in his past, he has already wasted three years of his life and he didn't want to sleep every time he had a chance. He wanted to make up for the three lost years.

"There's a spare bedroom upstairs that Al's been using, You can sleep in there for now if you want?" Roy was silent for a minute, probably waiting for Ed's response. The blond was late to answer because what Roy had just said took a while to make sense in his groggy mind. He eventually gave a nod of his head and rose to his feet, leaning heavily on his crutch.

Roy led him to the house and stopped at the bottom of a towering staircase. He looked at Ed and asked, "Are you able to get up there?"

Ed shrugged. "No better time than the present to find out." He placed his crutch on the first step and pulled himself up, his other hand griping the railing until his knuckled turned white. He only managed to make it up two or three steps before he had to stop, leaning over and breathing hard. Roy waited patiently for Ed to regain himself and once the blond had enough energy he helped him up the rest of the steps. Roy stayed close to him on the trek up the stairs, keeping his hand a few inches behind his back. Ed finally reached the top and after taking a few steps forward he stopped again, leaning heavily on the crutch, feeling drained of all the energy he had.

"Do you want me to carry you the rest of the way?" Roy offered.

Ed shook his head in response. There was no way he was going to let the General carry him, no chance in hell it was going to happen. He waited a few more minutes to catch his breath before following Roy to the bedroom. He finally made it and collapsed onto the bed. He was breathing heavily and felt completely drained. He let his crutch fall to the floor and was asleep in seconds.

He immediately flipped the page and eagerly dove face-first into his unknown past. The next chapter starts now!

* * *

 **A/N...So how was it? Sorry if it took me a while to update. I'm still trying to work out the basic plot and I still have another story I'm currently working on. The updates may take longer than usual.**

 **I'd like to give a quick thanks to Griselda Banks and Brenne for reviewing last chapter. And thanks to everyone who followed or faved this story. I hope you enjoy reading this.**

 **Now, here's a mistake I made while writing this chapter. I found it quite amusing. I meant to write : The Colonel was pushing a damn wheelchair in front of him." But I wrote. "** **The Colonel was pushing a damn camelhair in front of him." Hope I was able to somewhat amuse you with that mistake...**


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist_

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

 ** _3 years ago_**

* * *

Ed sat there, his impatients getting to him. He tapped his foot on the ground as he waited for Nicolas to return. The man said he had something he had to do and that he and Al had to wait there but he has been gone for more than ten minutes and there was still no sight of him. Eventually he stood up and walked over to the fireplace on other side of the room. He stared at the strange artifacts on the mantle and each one looked like it belonged in a different time period.

He carefully picked up an odd metal coin. It was gold plated and uneven. There was a faint picture of a man on one side and an incomplete Transmutation circle on the other. The coin was cold to the touch and Ed placed it back down exactly where he had found it. He turned to pick one of the objects but apparently the edge was quite sharp and it sliced his finger. Ed dropped it in surprise and it shattered on the floor. He backed away trying to think of an excuse to why it happened. He shoved his bleeding hand into his pocket and headed back to where Al was. He sat down on the couch with a muffled thump and fiddled around with his automail. He made sure not to unscrew anything or Winry would mist likely kill him.

After several more minutes Nicolas walked into the room and looked from Ed to Al. He didn't say a word as he sat down on the couch. He directed his gaze to Ed but still said nothing. Ed was confused but waited as patiently as he could for Nicolas began to talk. When he said not a single word Ed started instead.

"So why are we still here anyway?" Ed demanded. He waited for Nicolas to reply but the man still wouldn't talk. "Aren't you going to answer me?" He was getting agitated now and he wasn't sure of how much longer he would be able to sit there without going crazy.

"You two are trying to restore your bodies back to normal," he said casually. Ed looked up and stared directly at him. He knew that he had automail and Al was only a lost soul but the two of them had never told him about the reason they wanted the Philosopher's Stone. So how did he find out?

"I'm guessing that I'm right," Nicolas said with no emotion in his voice. He had a straight face as he talked, showing no emotions or giving anything away.

Ed clenched his metal fist. "You. How did you find out?" He growled through clenched teeth. His anger was growing with every passing second that he sat there staring at Nicolas. His golden eyes danced with an undying fire he's had stored away since he first met Roy. He wanted to punch Nicolas no badly in his damn face but he didn't know what the man was capable of, with or without the Philosopher's Stone.

"It was simple really." Nicholas paused and stared Ed hard in the eye. "I contacted your father some weeks ago and he told me everything." He narrowed his eyes. "I also heard that you tried to Transmute your mother. Is that true?"

Ed didn't answer. Instead, he looked away and avoided eye contact. He stood up, deciding that he's had enough of the damn place and headed for the door. He was pulled back by Nicolas who stared him directly in the eyes. Is gaze didn't once waver and he stared Ed down with his stormy gray eyes that looked like they could see everything. Ed felt uneasy, it looking like he was seeing into his very soul. The blond pulled his arm away from Nicolas and took a step away.

"Come on Al," Ed called. He heard Al stand up and the blond turned away from Nicolas, walking towards the door to get as far from the man as possible He just about reached the door when he heard Nicolas call him from the other side of the room. Ed risked it and turned, only to find Nicolas standing beside the fireplace, looking down at the broken artifact on the floor. Ed's heart lept into his throat and he made a dash for the door, but before he got there he suddenly lost all the feeling in his flesh leg and went tumbling to the floor, landing hard on his side.

It felt like his throat was closing shut and he scooped in a ragged breath before letting out several terrible coughs. Another cough racked his body and he struggled to push himself up. Suddenly he was lifted into the air and then placed back onto the couch. He coughed again and felt someone's hands on his chest. He slowly gained the feeling in his flesh and could breathe normally again.

"You damn kid," Nicolas scolded. "You shouldn't have hid the fact that you cut yourself on the glass. You do know it's toxic, right?"

Ed coughed again. "No, how should I know the damn glass is toxic?" he retorted in a dry, scratchy voice that sounded weird even to him.

"You're staying here the night," Nicolas decided. "You can sleep in here. I want to keep an eye on you incase the toxins spread."

Ed didn't complain. Anywhere was better than that dusty old hotel they were staying in. The only problem was he's already payed to stay there, and it was more than half his money. He frowned slightly but hid it quickly. "But my stuff's at the hotel."

"Your brother will get it for you. You need to rest," Nicolas told him.

"What? I'm fine, see." He pushed himself up but his arms buckled beneath him and he landed back on the couch with a soft thump. His head pounded and he forced his eyes shut. He didn't know why he felt like this but he felt his face reddening in embarrassment. He hated acting weak and he couldn't even push himself up on the couch.

"Brother, you rest. I'll get out stuff at the hotel," Al spoke up. Ed heard his clanging armor leaving the room and he struggled to sit up but Nicolas pushed him back down again.

"Stop moving. I only slowed down the toxins that are spreading through your body. Any movement will cause it to spread faster." Nicolas kept his hand placed firmly on his shoulder to prevent Ed from moving. The blond released a sigh and wished that he never touched that damn piece of glass in the first place.

"I hate this," Ed muttered bitterly under his breath. He hated sitting around doing nothing, now he wasn't even allowed to move. It was pure agonizing torture that had no end to it. Slowly Ed's fingers began to feel numb and the feeling spread up his arm. He let out a soft groan and Nicolas removed his grip on his shoulder. He helped the mostly numb Ed sit up and handed him a glass of water.

"Here, drink this." He offered him the glass.

Ed coughed and took the cool glass in his numb hands. He drank it quickly. It tasted like water until the aftertaste kicked in. He gagged and nearly dropped the glass. His face went pale at the taste and he hunched over, wishing that the damn taste would go away.

"That was _not_ water," Ed groaned. "You lied to me."

"I only told you to drink it. I don't recall ever telling you that it was water," Nicolas explained, making Ed wish that he paid more attention to what people told him. "Anyway, that should stop further spread of the toxins. You should still rest so it doesn't start spreading again. I think you'll be fine in the morning." Nicolas grabbed a blanket and laid it over Ed. "Now get some sleep."

Ed silently agreed and allowed his eyelids to drop down. He didn't like sleeping on some random guy's couch but he had no other choice. He couldn't even lift his limbs enough to see them. He was perfectly still as he drifted off, a bit unwillingly, into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Ed awoke feeling hot. He rolled over and groaned. His head pounded and he felt sick to his stomach. he didn't know why he felt like that but he wished that it would go away.

"You're up late," a familiar voice said from somewhere off to one side of the room. Ed looked around and spotted Nicolas pulling back the curtains on the window, blinding Ed with the harsh light that shone brightly into the room. He blinked a few times to chase away the spots that danced across the vision and by the time he was done Nicolas was sitting on the couch beside him.

"How do you feel?" He asked, looking down at him.

"I've felt better," Ed mumbled incoherently. He shut his eyes tight but opened them again a moment later when he heard someone at the door. It took a while for his blurry vision to even out but when it did he saw Al standing there.

"How's brother?" He asked with an air of nervousness to his voice.

"His fever's going down. He should be fine soon." Nicolas glanced at him and then directed his stormy gaze back to Alphonse. "I was able to successfully able to remove the toxins from his body so he'll live. He's free to leave once his fever breaks."

Al nodded his metal head with a loud clang that sent a spark of pain shooting through his head. He winced and held his head with his hand. Nicolas must have noticed his great discomfort because he turned to look down at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"My head feels like it's gonna explode," Ed muttered. He groaned and rolled over on the couch. He felt around for the blanket and after a few struggled minuted he had managed to successfully pull the blanket over his head. All he wanted to do was sleep but he doubted that would be very likely. His head hurt too much to think, let alone relax enough to fall asleep. However, his theory was wrong and he was snoring within minutes after the thought passed through his mind.

* * *

 _Present time_

* * *

"Hey Ed, wake up," a voice called out, breaking into his dream. Ed opened one groggy eye and saw Al staring at him with curiosity shining in his light golden eyes. Ed let out a long dramatic groan and rolled over, wishing that he was still sleeping. He was really tired for some reason.

"Ed," Al spoke up again, louder than before. Ed looked at his brother tiredly and yawned involuntarily. "What were you dreaming about?"

Ed sat up and swept his golden gaze across the room. The window was shut, the curtains were covering the window. But the door was open. "Al, can you shut the door for a minute?"

Al nodded and shut the door without asking why. He headed back to Ed and stood there. Ed pushed himself up and indicated for Al to sit on the bed, it was better than him looking down at him. Ed was short enough as it was, he didn't need to be reminded that he was several inches shorter than his younger brother.

He hesitated. He knew he had to tell Al, it was his past to. He finally brought up the courage and dived face-first into the well detailed story. Nicolas inviting them into his house, the very old picture of Van Hohenheim on the wall, the glass and the toxins. He finished telling the story out of breath and noticed that Al looked shocked at what he had just heard.

Al opened his mouth to speak but all of his words were lost and he could only manage to gawk. "So you're saying that Nicolas knows dad? But how?"

Ed shrugged. "I don't really care how he knows that bastard, it's not important." He pushed the dream aside when his stomach growled. His face turned red. "So, you got any food?"

Al sighed. It was just like Ed to abandon a conversation for something so stupid, so childish. Not like he would ever tell him though, he would probably get a big beating. Ed's stomach growled again as he patiently waited for Al to answer.

"The Colonel made breakfast about a half hour ago. He saved you some so you can-"

Ed grabbed his crutch and was out the door before Al could finish his sentence. He was getting use to walking on the crutch despite that he started yesterday. He walked down the stairs carefully but fell down the last couple steps and landed on his face. He swore in frustration and felt someone kneeling down beside him.

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asked, his voice high-pitched with concern.

Ed turned his angered golden gaze to glare at the wooden stairs that were just sitting there mocking him for falling. "You damn bastard, I'll get you back soon. Just you wait."

Al gave him a look that said: 'why are you talking to the stairs?' The younger Elric shook his head and Ed directed his attention to standing back up. He was getting stronger but he was still fairly weak, and that annoyed him. He pushed himself up and only succeeded because Al helped him. The blond leaned on his crutch for a moment as he waited to catch his breath that he lost when he tried to stand.

Ed smelled something...bacon! He detected that the smell was coming from the kitchen and he took off at a fast pace, well, a slower pace than Al, to get to the kitchen. He finally reached it and saw Roy hovering over the stove that was making sizzling noises. Ed's mouth watered and he walked behind Roy and looked over the General's shoulder. The truth was he was standing beside the General and looking over his arm. He wanted to believe that he was tall and his imagination got the better of him. No surprise there.

"Good morning, Fullmetal," Roy greeted without tearing his dark eyes off the pan of popping bacon.

"That for me?" Ed asked . Hopefully it was for him, he was starving. The General nodded and Ed stared at the bacon with an avaricious gleam in his eyes. He watched as Roy removed each crispy piece of bacon from the pan and put them onto a clean plate. He poured a large glass off orange juice and placed both onto the wooden table with a clink.

"Ed, eat quickly," Roy told him with no emotion in his dark eyes. "I have to leave for work soon and Hawkeye's going to come to watch the two of you."

"What?" Ed shouted in disbelief. What Roy said to him seriously angered him. "I'm eighteen now, I don't need a damn babysitter."

Roy fixed Ed with his cold stare and Ed glared back. Roy averted his eyes from Ed and sighed. "You're not staying here alone. It's not safe." There was something to his voice, something that Ed just couldn't point out. Then it came to him. There was an edge of nervousness to the General's voice, the one emotion that he rarely showed.

"Just listen to him," Al told him. It was there too. Al was trying to conceal the same hurt tone in his voice. They knew something that Ed didn't, something important. He was positive now, something was wrong, something was terribly wrong.

"There's something you're not telling me," Ed said suddenly, jolting Roy and Al back to the world. The General and Al exchanged a look full of fear and a silent message was passed between them even though neither uttered a single word. It was like the two of them had developed a strong bond during the time Ed was unconsciousness, a bond in which they could understand one another just by looking at each other in the eye. Soon after the message was received the two of them turned back to face Ed.

"Ed, please don't do anything reckless after hearing this," Roy asked him. When Ed nodded he released a breath and said quite reluctantly, "There is a murderer that has been going around Central City. He's been torturing children that are between the ages of 8 and 15."

Ed was outraged. How could someone go around and torture children? Ed clenched his fists and fixed the General with a cold, hard look. "Are you doing anything about it?"

Roy nodded. "We're doing everything in our power to stop it. But every time we get one step closer he slips out of our grasps. It's been going on for three years, right after you were admitted to the hospital."

Ed gritted his teeth and squeezed his crutch until his knuckles turned white. He was full of rage. How dare someone do something so atrocious? Ed wanted more than anything to punch that person in their damn face but he promised Roy that he wouldn't do anything reckless. Who cares. Being reckless wasn't always a bad thing, right?

"Fullmetal, I know you're planning something," Roy spoke up. Ed looked up and saw the General staring down at him with concern in his eyes. "Stop where you are. You told me that you wouldn't do anything stupid, or did you forget?"

Ed swore under his breath and loosened his tight grip on the crutch so his knuckles turned tan instead of white. His emotions were torn. He wanted to listen to the General but he couldn't let any more children get hurt. He was stuck at a crossroad with no idea which way to go. Each trail held a different consequence that he would have to withstand. He didn't know what direction to go until he saw that the path branched out in three different directions, each trail having it's own future of either light or darkness. He saw a bright future ahead and began to walk down the third one, the one with a future of hope and victory.

He was going to defeat the murderer and stay true to his promise at the same time. It was possible, he just needed to do it. He fixed Roy with his golden gaze that danced with strength and pride. "I said I wont do anything reckless but I'm not going to forget abut what you told me. I'm going to help figure out who the culprit is and put an end to their barbaric schemes."

"Very well," Roy said. Ed was thoroughly surprised. The General was actually letting him investigate into the case further. It wasn't like him, was something else going on? Ed hid his surprise quickly. He didn't know why, he just felt like he had to.

Ed nodded and walked across to eat the bacon that he's been dying to eat since he started the conversation. He heard laughter as he shoveled the delicious food into his mouth. The flavors were alive and sharp. They danced across his tongue and through his mouth. He ate the plate of bacon in a few famished bites before gulping down the juice and leaning back in the chair. He heard the sharp laughter again and he twisted his head to glare at Roy and Al.

"What are you two laughing at?" Ed demanded with barley concealed anger. Roy Al continued to laugh. Their constant laughter prevented either of them from answering Ed's question causing the blond to rapidly fill with anger until he snapped and threw his crutch at Roy. It hit the older man in the head and that stopped his laughter.

"Ed, what did you do that for?" He demanded. Now it was Ed's turn to laugh. He howled in laughter until his chest began it hurt and he couldn't breath. There were tears of laughter in his golden eyes that threatened to spill but he held them back. Laughter or pain, it didn't matter Tears were tears and for that fact Ed refused to let them spill out of him eyes.

Roy wasn't mad, in fact he looked frustrated. He stood there with crossed arms and a tapping foot. Ed decided that it was best to stop laughing before the General pulled out his ignition gloves and Ed was turned into a pile of ash. He had a hard time trying to stifle his never-ending laughter. He can't eve remember _why_ he's laughing now, he just was. He could see Roy's anger boiling and eventually the older man sighed in defeat.

"Ed, if you don't stop laughing I'll-"

Just then there was a knock on the door loud enough to hear above Ed;s constant laughter. Roy disappeared from the room and Ed was finally able to stop laughing. He was trying to remember why he was laughing in the first place when Hawkeye walked onto the room. They looked at each other for a minute before Hawkeye smiled at him gently.

"Nice to see you back," She said politely. In her voice Ed detected a faint trace of relief. Why was she relieved?

Ed nodded and smiled back. "It's nice to be back." He met Hawkeye's brown eyes and saw a great kindness in them. Soon Roy waved bye and departed from the house, leaving Hawkeye to watch over the two brothers. Ed rose from the chair and leaned on his crutch. He forced out a yawn. He wasn't tired, not even close. But he had to find out more about his past, the forgotten past. He needed to find out. He had to.

"I'm gonna take a nap. Don't wake me," Ed mumbled, using the best tired voice he could manage. He hated thinking that he was wasting his life sleeping when he's been sleeping for the past three years, but he had to find out. He could make up for the lost time some other day. He was getting more accustom to using the crutch and found it easier to move around. It was still tiring but hopefully he would be able to walk on his own soon. It was better than being carried everywhere in his opinion.

He shut his bedroom door and looked it so nobody could get in before hobbling over to his bed and collapsing into it. He dropped the crutch to the floor and pulled the blanket over his head, rolling over to his sighed he willed sleep to come.

He was there for roughly twenty minutes before he finally found himself in some void between conscious and unconsciousness, waiting to be fully absorbed in one or the other. At long last he found himself fully absorbed in the void of sleep. He didn't know why he was able to fall asleep so easily but he was glad he did. He walked through the darkness before seeing a light and his hidden past open up in front of him.

* * *

 _3 years ago_

* * *

Ed rolled over and a groan escaped his lips. He felt horrible, his head pounded and every muscle ached. It was terrible. He officially regretted ever toughing that damn piece of glass. If he wasn't so curious he wouldn't be there right now. Lying sick on some random persons couch. He was going to think twice before letting touching anything peculiar, doing so only leads to suffering.

"Brother, are you awake?' Al's ringing metallic voice asked. He sounded far away, like he was submerged beneath thick waves of water. Maybe he was. Ed began to picture his brother sitting in a fish tank and he knew that there was something wrong with him. Why was he picturing a seven foot suit of armor sitting in a fish tank? It must be because of his fever. Yes, that's it. His fever's making him think things. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of it.

"Brother, why are you laughing?" Al's voice asked him.

"You're sitting in a fish tank," Ed mumbled. Well, that wasn't how he was suppose to say it. Now he just sounded crazy.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Al asked. Ed was positive that Al now thought he was going crazy. Ed just nodded his head dumbly.

"How is he?" Nicolas' voice asked. Ed heard footsteps echoing through the room, growing closer and closer with each step. Ed had a feeling that he was standing with Al, possibly in the fish tank as...there wasn't a fish tank in the middle of the room. He had to remember that.

"He's talking nonsense," Al informed.

"'M not talkin' nonsense," Ed mumbled incoherently. He smelled coffee and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He usually enjoyed coffee but he didn't know why it smelled so outrageously horrid at the moment. The smell dissipated and Ed risked it and opened his eyes He was still in Nicolas' living room and there was indeed no fish tank in the room. Maybe was _was_ going crazy? He blamed the fever, that was the only reasonable explanation.

"Just as I feared," A voice said. It sounded far away and Ed had to strain to hear it. "Alphonse, can I speak to you in the other room?"

There wasn't a reply but Ed heard the sound of footsteps and clanking metal an knew that they were abandoning him. He pushed himself up, ignoring his screaming muscles, and looked around the room. It was too dark to see and he gave up and leaned against the back of the couch and let out a sharp irritated sigh. He saw a door opening off to one side of the large room and yellowish light spilled into the room, chasing away the darkness that formerly dominated that area of the room. Al ran over to him and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug.

"Al. You're breaking me," Ed gasped out. Al eventually let go and Ed rubbed his aching side. His younger brother could hug _hard_. Ed looked up at Al in confusion. "Uh, Al. Why did you just randomly hug me?" Stupid question but he was confused.

"It's nothing important," Al said quickly. Ed looked hard at Al for a minute and knew immediately that something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

"I know you're lying," Ed said, crossing his arms over his chest. Ever since he was younger he was able to tell when Al was lying. The way his voice shook was a dead giveaway. It was as hard as steel with a high percentage of carbon to get answers out of him though. He often spent hours trying to get him to admit something and most of the time Al refused to talk.

"I'm not lying," Al protested. His voice was shaking and Ed was now positive that he was hiding something. Something that most likely concerned him. A shudder passed through his body and he suddenly felt unusually tired. He had to get Al to tell the truth before he passed out again.

He racked his brain trying to think of a way but nothing came. All of the energy in his body was suddenly sapped away and he hunched over, trying as hard as he could to stay awake. He had to do it now.

"Alphonse, tell me what you're hiding now." Ed fixed his younger brother with questioning golden eyes. "Or I'll never forgive you."

Al took a step back. Good, he got to him. Al looked nervous. Well, he didn't have expressions but Ed could tell that he was nervous just by the way he was standing. His body stiff and leaning slightly to the right. Ed just had to keep applying pressure. It was like an open wound that he needed to close. Enough pressure and he'll succeed.

"Al, please tell me," Ed said using the best hurt voice he could manage. He looked at Al with large puppy-dog eyes and his brother finally collapsed beneath the pressure Ed was putting him under.

"You absorbed a Philosopher's stone into your bloodstream when you cut your finger on the glass," Al said quickly. "You now have Philosopher's Stone inside you."

* * *

 **A/N...And I finally posted a chapter. It's been about six months since I posted chapter 2. Well, the truth is, I've been debating with myself about whether or not I should stop writing this story. It's been so long since the last update that I'm unsure if anyone's still reading this. I have a good chunk of this story written, but have not a bit on inspiration to continue writing this story. I appreciate everyone who reviewed last chapter, and I really don't want to end it. If anyone still wants to read this story just write a review to let me know that I should keep writing this story (any review, really. Even a 'please update' is good enough. I don't even care about how many reviews I get. Five would be nice, but anything I get, no matter how small, will get me to continue writing this story.)**

 **Well, that's about it. I didn't proof read or anything, so just be warned about the odd mistakes that make no sense. I wrote this chapter so long ago that I forgot what it's about. Well, I'd love to hear your guy's opinions about whether or not you want me to continue writing this story. Anything will help!**

 **Well, good-bye for now!**


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